NYAH Key West

Challenge

Key West attracts a uniquely social traveler. They are often people who arrive solo, leave with friends and value shared experience as much as a place to sleep. This created an opportunity was to develop a hospitality brand that reflected this reality. It had to be flexible, communal and rooted in connection rather than privacy or polish.

NYAH (Not Your Average Hotel) was conceived as a new kind of property: one designed to welcome individuals and groups alike. It was crafted to support the fluid, spontaneous nature of how guests actually travel together.

The challenge was to articulate this idea clearly through brand and narrative while positioning NYAH as a destination where community, energy and shared moments created undeniable cultural gravity.

My Role

Brand and copy lead, supporting positioning, narrative development and guest-facing expression across physical and digital touchpoints.

What I Led

  • Helped shape the core brand positioning around connection, openness and shared experience

  • Developed the narrative framework that defined NYAH as a social hub rather than a traditional hotel

  • Crafted copy for the website, on-site materials and branded elements including key cards, toiletries, sundries and more

  • Assisted in the development of the original website, ensuring content and structure reinforced the brand’s communal ethos

  • Maintained tonal consistency across every guest interaction, from arrival through shared spaces

Every touchpoint was designed to reinforce the same idea: NYAH is where strangers become part of the same story.

Outcomes

NYAH launched as a distinct hospitality brand within the Key West market, offering a recognizable alternative to traditional hotels and bed-and-breakfasts.

The property remains in operation today, with a brand identity rooted in openness, social energy and shared experience. The result is a hotel shaped as much by the people who pass through it as by the space itself.